The F Words

No, this isn't about the F word we all know and shouldn't use. Rather, I want to talk about a few other moderately negative words which have been getting boat loads of attention. No pun intended. Ferries. Fresh food. And fatness. Although the Retail Council of Canada has requested for perishables like meat and produce to have priority on our ferries, it seems they won't be getting it. Coming from places near and far, it can take up to a week for some of the produce to reach North Sydney. Yes, that's before it gets on the ferry to make way over to us. Obviously any delay in the travel chain can equate to produce of poorer quality, and if left long enough, the quantity on store shelves too. However this issue boils down to more than just quality and quantity of food. It's also about food security and our health as well. Province wide, Newfoundland and Labrador have the lowest consumption of fruits and veggies in the country. About 75% of us don't eat five or more servings a day. Our rates of overweight and obesity also exceed the national averages for all ages. Roughly 36% of kids and a whopping 71% of adults in our province are overweight or obese. Much higher than the national averages of 26% and 59%. The correlation of under consumption of fruits and veggies with obesity has well been established. Toss in there a shortage of quality fruit and veggies, and produce sitting on trucks too long so it's optimal nutrition has been devalued- it's more of what came first, the chicken or the egg?

We hear a lot about local, and there's no doubt we should all try and eat more of it. Some estimates are that 10% of fresh vegetables in major retailers across Newfoundland & Labrador are produced locally, and The Federation of Agriculture suggests 2% of agricultural products available in our stores are made right here. There are many reasons to eat local, and the aforementioned stats are just the tip of that iceberg. Eating local might actually be a little easier for people in Labrador in the very near future. Funding was announced earlier this month for a family farm in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to construct a year round hydroponic greenhouse. On the island we have some resources too. The St. John's Farmers Market is open every Saturday at the Lions Chalet on Bonaventure Ave from now until December. If you live outside the city and on the Avalon there's also the 'Buy Local! Buy Fresh!' website. I talked about it a few weeks ago, so if you missed that column here's the link again: www.avalonfresh.ca.

The ferry system is what it is, and might be as good as it gets. Right now it might not be something we can change, and if the quality of produce bothers you, perhaps focus on some things you can do yourself to make quality and freshness a priority. Eat seasonally. You'll find a guide for that on the above site, Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Make friends with grocers and ask about when produce comes in.  Or better yet, ask how long it has been on store shelves. It may have been placed on shelves today, but brought in the store the day or so before. Do a little digging while in the store too. My experience has been if I'm in a rush and grab whatever is at the top of the pile it might have a bad spot or two and only last a day back home. Taking some time to search underneath or away from the middle of a display might reward your effort with a fresher product. Try and buy less overall too. We already know that because of our geography the food in our store might not last as long. Take that into consideration when shopping. How often do you end up throwing out the limp head of lettuce or broccoli? Scale back on portions. Most of us have eyes bigger than our bellies. Larger quantities of food purchased often equals larger quantities of food consumed, and ultimately larger tummies. Another suggestion is to plan meals ahead and when you're shopping only buy for those meals you have planned

As seen in The Telegram July 23, 2012